With the arrival of warmer weather, what could be better thana refreshing drink to enjoy those long summer evenings? Whether you love fruity flavors, herbal notes, or are simply looking foran alcohol-free alternative, mocktails are the perfect solution. Colorful, creative, and delicious, they’re becoming a more and more common sight in our glasses. To inspire you, Bruxelles Secrète has selected 6 mocktail recipes to try right away this summer!
Virgin Piña Colada
Ingredients:
12 cl pineapple juice
4 cl coconut milk
½ lime
½ teaspoon vanilla sugar
The recipe:
Place a handful of ice cubes and all the ingredients in a blender.
Blend everything together for a few seconds (or use a shaker if you don’t have a blender).
Pour the mixture into a cocktail glass. If you have one, you can even garnish it with a slice of fresh pineapple. Enjoy it well chilled!
Non-Alcoholic Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
Espresso—1 or about 30 ml (1 oz)
Ice cubes—to taste
Non-alcoholic spirits (such as gin or vodka) – 60 ml (2 oz)
Simple syrup – 15 ml (½ oz)
Coffee beans (optional) – To taste
The recipe:
Pour an espresso into a cup or small bowl.
Fill a shaker with ice cubes
Add the espresso, the liqueur, and the simple syrup. Close the shaker and shake vigorously for a few seconds, until it’s nice and cold.
Using a small strainer, strain the cocktail directly into a martini glass.
If desired, garnish with a few coffee beans and serve.
For the simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 250 ml (1 cup) of sugar and 250 ml (1 cup) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and as soon as it starts to bubble, remove from the heat. Let cool slightly, then transfer to an airtight container. The simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Apple-Ginger Mocktail
Ingredients (for 1 mocktail):
180 ml (3/4 cup) ice cubes
125 ml (4 oz) fresh, old-fashioned/artisanal apple juice (not made from concentrate)
15 ml (1/2 oz) lemon juice
5 ml (1 teaspoon) maple syrup
1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) finely grated fresh ginger
1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) cocktail emulsifier or 1/2 very fresh egg white
125 ml (4 oz) ginger ale, chilled
1 thin slice of red apple (optional)
The recipe:
In a shaker, vigorously mix the ice cubes, apple juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger, and cocktail emulsifier or egg white for 15 seconds.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a white wine glass. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a thin slice of red apple skewered on a cocktail stick, if desired.
Virgin Grapefruit Mojito
Ingredients (serves 6):
3 pink grapefruits
90 g La Perruche brown sugar
90 cl sparkling water (with large bubbles)
36 cl pink grapefruit juice
½ bunch of fresh mint
0.5 L crushed ice
The recipe:
Wash the mint, then remove the leaves.
Peel the grapefruits and separate the segments.
Place the mint leaves at the bottom of the glasses before adding a tablespoon of La Perruche brown sugar. Using a muddler, gently crush the mint without over-crushing it.
Add the grapefruit juice and segments to the mixture. Fill the glasses with crushed ice and top off with sparkling water. Stir gently before serving.
Chef’s tip: To add a bit more tartness, you can also add a lime wedge.
Raspberry Lemonade
Ingredients (for 1 liter):
750 ml (3 cups) of still water
375 ml (1 ½ cups) frozen raspberries, thawed
75 ml (1/3 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from about 2 to 3 lemons)
75 to 125 ml (1/3 to 1/2 cup) honey
5 to 7 ml (1 to 1 ½ teaspoons) rose water or orange blossom water (optional)
Fresh raspberries, to taste
Ice cubes
The recipe:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until the raspberries are pureed.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth.
Pour the mixture into a large bottle or pitcher. Refrigerate until the lemonade is well chilled.
Serve in glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Ingredients (for one mocktail):
250 ml (1 cup) sparkling water
60 ml (1/4 cup) juniper syrup
15 ml (1 tablespoon) lime juice
1 small sprig of rosemary
1 lime slice
Ice cubes
The recipe:
In a tall glass filled with ice cubes, mix the sparkling water, juniper syrup, and lime juice. Garnish with rosemary and lime.
